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United States Patent |
5,785,152
|
Fujita
,   et al.
|
July 28, 1998
|
Lubricant-containing end cap for a bicycle control cable
Abstract
An end cap for a bicycle control cable of the type wherein an inner cable
slides within an outer casing includes a housing defining a hollow
chamber, wherein the housing has a first end defining a first opening for
receiving the inner cable therethrough and a second end defining a second
opening adapted to fit to the outer casing of the bicycle control cable. A
lubricant is disposed in the chamber, and a screen is provided for
screening the first opening at the first end of the housing. A portion of
the hollow chamber between the lubricant and the second end of the housing
is open through the second end of the housing, but the lubricant has
sufficiently low fluidicity at normal temperature that the lubricant does
not flow out of the housing.
Inventors:
|
Fujita; Kouji (Sakai, JP);
Koga; Satoru (Sakai, JP)
|
Assignee:
|
Shimano, Inc. (Osaka, JP)
|
Appl. No.:
|
814546 |
Filed:
|
March 10, 1997 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S. Class: |
184/16; 74/502.4; 74/502.6; 184/15.1 |
Intern'l Class: |
F16N 007/12 |
Field of Search: |
184/15.1,15.2,15.3,16
74/502.4,502.6
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
3858687 | Jan., 1975 | Masarky et al. | 184/15.
|
4066147 | Jan., 1978 | Toyomoto | 184/15.
|
4892005 | Jan., 1990 | Nagano | 74/502.
|
5443139 | Aug., 1995 | Scott | 184/15.
|
5636709 | Jun., 1997 | Fujita et al. | 184/16.
|
Foreign Patent Documents |
964748 | Aug., 1950 | FR.
| |
5-50978 | Mar., 1993 | JP.
| |
Primary Examiner: Denion; Thomas E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Deland; James A.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.
08/669,947, filed Jun. 25, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,709.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An end cap for a bicycle control cable of the type wherein an inner
cable (70) slide within an outer casing (60) comprising:
a housing (10) defining a hollow chamber (15), the housing (10) having a
first end defining a first opening (12) for receiving the inner cable (70)
therethrough and a second end defining a second opening (14) adapted to
fit to the outer casing (60) of the bicycle control cable;
a lubricant (40) disposed in the chamber (15);
a screen (20,30) screening the first opening (12) at the first end of the
housing (10);
wherein the hollow chamber (15) is open through the second end of the
housing (10) so that the lubricant (40) is exposed through the second end
of the housing (10); and
wherein the lubricant (40) does not flow out of the housing (10) at
80.degree. C. or lower.
2. The end cap according to claim 1 wherein the screen (20) completely
covers the first opening (12).
3. The end cap according to claim 1 wherein the screen (20,30) comprises a
ring-shaped shield member (20,30) positioned coaxially with the first
opening (12).
4. The end cap according to claim 3 wherein the ring-shaped shield member
(20) includes a centrally disposed film (24) for completely covering the
first opening (12) and preventing the lubricant from flowing out of the
housing (10) through the first opening (12).
5. The end cap according to claim 4 further comprising a ring-shaped base
plate (30) disposed adjacent to and coaxially with the ring-shaped shield
member (20) for receiving an end of the outer casing (60) of the control
cable.
6. The end cap according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the
housing (10) is transparent for viewing the lubricant (40).
7. The end cap according to claim 1 wherein the housing (10) further
comprises a larger diameter main section (11) disposed at the second end
of the housing and a smaller diameter nose section (13) disposed at the
first end of the housing and extending coaxially with the first opening
(12).
8. The end cap according to claim 7 wherein the screen (20) completely
covers the first opening (12).
9. The end cap according to claim 7 wherein the screen (20,30) comprises a
ring-shaped shield member (20,30) positioned coaxially with the first
opening (12).
10. The end cap according to claim 9 wherein the ring-shaped shield member
(20) includes a centrally disposed film (24) for completely covering the
opening (12) and preventing the lubricant from flowing out of the housing
(10) through the first opening (12).
11. The end cap according to claim 10 further comprising a ring-shaped base
plate (30) disposed adjacent to and coaxially with the ring-shaped shield
member (20) for receiving an end of the outer casing (60) of the control
cable.
12. The end cap according to claim 7 wherein at least a portion of the
housing (10) is transparent for viewing the lubricant (40).
13. An end cap for a bicycle control cable of the type wherein an inner
cable (70) slides within an outer casing (60) comprising:
a housing (10) defining a hollow chamber (15), the housing (10) having a
first end defining a first opening (12) for receiving the inner cable (70)
therethrough and a second end defining a second opening (14) adapted to
fit to the outer casing (60) of the bicycle control cable;
a lubricant (40) disposed in the chamber (15);
a screen (20,30) screening the first opening (12) at the first end of the
housing (10);
wherein a portion of the hollow chamber (15) between the lubricant (40) and
the second end of the housing (10) is open through the second end of the
housing (10); and
wherein the screen (20,30) defines a screen opening therethrough, and
further comprising a waxy substance (50) disposed between the lubricant
(40) and the first opening (12) for preventing the lubricant from flowing
out of the first opening (12).
14. The end cap according to claim 13 wherein the waxy substance (50) does
not flow out of the first opening (12) at 80.degree. C. or lower.
15. The end cap according to claim 13 wherein the waxy substance (50) is
disposed on opposite sides of the screen (20,30).
16. An end cap for a bicycle control cable of the type wherein an inner
cable (70) slides within an outer casing (60) comprising:
a housing (10) defining a hollow chamber (15), the housing (10) having a
first end defining a first opening (12) for receiving the inner cable (70)
therethrough and a second end defining a second opening (14) adapted to
fit to the outer casing (60) of the bicycle control cable;
a lubricant (40) disposed in the chamber (15);
a screen (20,30) screening the first opening (12) at the first end of the
housing (10);
wherein a portion of the hollow chamber (15) between the lubricant (40) and
the second end of the housing (10) is open through the second end of the
housing (10);
wherein the housing (10) further comprises a larger diameter main section
(11) disposed at the second end of the housing and a smaller diameter nose
section (13) disposed at the first end of the housing and extending
coaxially with the first opening (12); and
wherein the screen (20,30) defines a screen opening therethrough, and
further comprising a waxy substance (50) disposed between the lubricant
(40) and the first opening (12) for preventing the lubricant from flowing
out of the first opening (12).
17. The end cap according to claim 16 wherein the waxy substance (50) does
not flow out of the first opening (12) at 80.degree. C. or lower.
18. The end cap according to claim 16 wherein the waxy substance (50) is
disposed on opposite sides of the screen (20,30).
19. An end cap for a bicycle control cable of the type wherein an inner
cable (70) slides within an outer casing (60) comprising:
a housing (10) defining a hollow chamber (15), the housing (10) having a
first end defining a first opening (12) for receiving the inner cable (70)
therethrough and a second end defining a second opening (14) adapted to
fit to the outer casing (60) of the bicycle control cable;
a lubricant (40) disposed in the chamber (15);
a screen (20,30) screening the first opening (12) at the first end of the
housing (10);
wherein a portion of the hollow chamber (15) between the lubricant (40) and
the second end of the housing (10) is open through the second end of the
housing (10);
wherein the housing (10) further comprises a larger diameter main section
(11) disposed at the second end of the housing and a smaller diameter nose
section (13) disposed at the first end of the housing and extending
coaxially with the first opening (12); and
a protrusion (16) extending radially outwardly from a free end of the nose
section (13).
20. An end cap for a bicycle control cable of the type wherein an inner
cable (70) slides within an outer casing (60), wherein the end cap
consists of:
a housing (10) defining a hollow chamber (15), the housing (10) having a
first end defining a first opening (12) for receiving the inner cable (70)
therethrough and a second end defining a second opening (14) adapted to
fit to the outer casing (60) of the bicycle control cable;
a lubricant (40) disposed in the chamber (15);
a ring-shaped shield member (20) screening the first opening (12);
a ring-shaped base plate (30) disposed adjacent to and coaxially with the
ring-shaped shield member (20) for receiving an end of the outer casing
(60) of the control cable;
wherein the hollow chamber (15) is open through the second end of the
housing (10) so that the lubricant (40) is exposed through the second end
of the housing (10); and
wherein the lubricant (40) does not flow out of the housing (10) at
80.degree. C. or lower.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to end caps for bicycle control cables
and, more particularly, to an end cap which can be used to lubricate
exposed ends of the control cable.
A conventional bicycle control cable, such as a brake cable, a shift cable,
or another such control cable, has an outer tube that is made of a resin
or another material that is flexible, so it conforms to the control cable
attachment seat (stopper) provided to the frame of the bicycle.
Accordingly, when a control cable manufacturer produces a control cable,
the end of the control cable is structured such that a metal end cap is
fixed by caulking at one or both ends of the outer tube, or such that an
end cap made of a rigid plastic is fixed, and the control cable is usually
shipped with the end cap already assembled in place. In a case such as
this, in order to reduce the friction with the outer tube or to prevent
rusting of the inner cable, it is preferable to inject grease or another
such lubricant into the outer tube ahead of time, that is, prior to the
insertion of the inner cable into the outer tube. Not only does the work
involved in injecting the lubricant into the outer tube take a great deal
of time, but once the lubricant has been injected it leaks from the end
cap at the other end of the outer tube (that is, the inner cable exit) as
it is carried along by the inner cable passing through the outer tube,
which is a problem in that the lubricant is wasted.
In light of this problem, the present applicant previously proposed in
Japanese Patent Application 5-50978 a bicycle control cable of the type in
which the end caps are already attached, wherein metal end caps equipped
with shield members for preventing the leakage of grease from between the
above-mentioned outer tube and the inner cable are fixed by caulking to
both ends of the outer tube, and grease is made to be present in the inner
cable insertion space between the above-mentioned shield members of the
above-mentioned outer tube. With a bicycle control cable such as this, the
grease is degraded very little over a relatively long period, and it does
not readily leak out because of the shield members at both ends of the
outer tube, and it is therefore present within the outer tube over a long
term, displays its lubricating action over a long term as well, and
prevents the infiltration of dirty water and moisture.
In specific terms, as shown in FIG. 8, the above-mentioned bicycle control
cable (3) is designed such that at both ends of an outer tube (3b) made of
resin, the ends of the outer tube (3b) are formed by metal end caps (1)
fixed by caulking to the main part of the outer tube (3b), and a grease
shield component (11) is formed from ›I! a plurality of rubber shield
members (8) that are molded in a ring shape so as to allow the insertion
and sliding of an inner cable (3a) and are housed in the end cap (1) and
›ii! a plurality of bushings (6) that are molded in a ring shape so as to
allow the insertion and sliding of the inner cable (3a) and are housed in
the end cap (1) such that they support the shield members (8) and form a
grease chamber (9). Forming the grease shield component (11) at both ends
of the outer tube (3b) results in a structure in which grease G is
injected from one end into the inner cable insertion space between the
shield component (11) at one end of the outer tube (3b) and the shield
component (11) at the other end.
However, such a bicycle control cable of the pre-assembled end cap type
requires a plurality of shield members (8) and a plurality of bushings (6)
in order to form the grease chamber (9) within the end cap (1), which
means that not only is there a greater number of parts, but the structure
is also more complicated, so the production of the end cap (1) takes an
extremely long time and productivity is poor. Also, since the end caps (1)
are fixed by caulking to both ends of the outer tube (3b) so that they are
integrated with the outer tube (3b), the grease G that is first put into
the grease chamber (9) is consumed over time as the bicycle control cable
(3) is used, so when the control cable becomes difficult to operate, just
the end cap (1) cannot be taken off the outer tube (3b), replaced with an
maintenance-use end cap, and re-used, nor can additional grease G be
injected into the end cap (1) from the outside because of the presence of
the shield members (8) in the end cap (1), so a drawback is that the
entire bicycle control cable (3) has to be replaced. Furthermore, when
such a bicycle control cable of the pre-assembled end cap type is shipped
from the control cable manufacturer, it has already been manufactured to
the specified length and other dimensions as ordered by the bicycle
assembly manufacturer, and for a bicycle assembly manufacturer that
produces small quantities of many different models, such a bicycle control
cable (3) that has already been manufactured to the specified length and
other dimensions is lacking in terms of adaptability.
For instance, since different models of bicycles have control cables of
different length and other dimensions, a bicycle assembly manufacturer
that produces small quantities of many different models will sometimes
purchase a roll of outer tubing, cut this rolled outer tubing to the
required length according to the model being produced, and assemble the
end cap on the control cable himself, rather than using a control cable
that has been pre-assembled with the end caps from the control cable
manufacturer, in order to be able to respond more quickly to various
changes and to demand. Here again, when a control cable is thus assembled,
it is similarly desirable to inject grease or another such lubricant into
the outer tube ahead of time, that is, before the inner cable is passed
through the outer tube, in order to prevent the rusting of the inner cable
and to reduce friction with the outer tube. However, not only is the work
involved in this lubricant injection extremely time-consuming, but, as
mentioned above, the grease that has been injected leaks from the end cap
at the other end of the outer tube (that is, from the inner cable exit) as
it is carried along by the inner cable passing through the outer tube,
which is a problem in that the lubricant is wasted.
Also, since the sealing performance of the end caps is poor with a control
cable that has been thus assembled, after the control cable has been
attached to the control cable attachment seats provided to the bicycle,
the lubricant that was injected into the outer tube gradually leaks from
the end cap at the end of the outer tube as the inner cable is moved in
and out in the course of the use of the control cable, and this leakage
dirties the bicycle and also decreased the lubrication of the outer tube
and the inner cable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an end cap which can be easily
attached in a removable manner to the end of an outer tube of a control
cable, which requires no time-consuming lubrication injection work even
when the control cable is custom made, will provide the same level of
sealing performance as a pre-assembled bicycle control cable, will
lubricate the cable for a long time, and will prevent the infiltration of
mud or water.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an end cap for a bicycle
control cable of the type wherein an inner cable slides within an outer
casing includes a housing defining a hollow chamber, wherein the housing
has a first end defining a first opening for receiving the inner cable
therethrough and a second end defining a second opening adapted to fit to
the outer casing of the bicycle control cable. A lubricant is disposed in
the chamber, and a screen is provided for screening the first opening at
the first end of the housing. A portion of the hollow chamber between the
lubricant and the second end of the housing is open through the second end
of the housing, but the lubricant has sufficiently low fluidicity at
normal temperature that the lubricant does not flow out of the housing. If
desired, the screen may completely cover the first opening to prevent the
lubricant from flowing out of the first opening, or else the screen may
have an opening and a waxy substance may be placed between the lubricant
and the screen opening to prevent the lubricant from flowing out of the
first opening. The housing also may include a smaller diameter nose
section extending from the first opening for attachment to other segments
of the control cable system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional diagram of a particular embodiment of a
lubricant-containing end cap according to the invention for use with a
bicycle control cable;
FIGS. 2A-2E are cross sectional views of the end cap shown in FIG. 1
illustrating how the end cap is assembled into a complete bicycle control
cable system;
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional diagram of an alternative embodiment of a
lubricant-containing end cap according to the invention for use with a
bicycle control cable;
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the end cap shown in FIG. 3
illustrating how the end cap is assembled into a complete bicycle control
cable system;
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional diagram of another alternative embodiment of a
lubricant-containing end cap according to the invention for use with a
bicycle control cable;
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional diagram of another alternative embodiment of a
lubricant-containing end cap according to the invention for use with a
bicycle control cable;
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional diagram of another alternative embodiment of a
lubricant-containing end cap according to the invention for use with a
bicycle control cable; and
FIG. 8 is a cross sectional diagram of a prior art end cap for a bicycle
control cable.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional diagram of a particular embodiment of a
lubricant-containing end cap according to the invention for use with a
bicycle control cable. In this embodiment, 1 is a normal type of end cap.
This end cap 1 is mounted to both ends of the resin outer tube 60 of a
bicycle control cable, such as a bicycle brake cable or a shift cable, and
forms the end portions of the outer tube 60. The housing 10 of the end cap
1 has a roughly hollow cylindrical shape, and the inside diameter thereof
is roughly the same as, or slightly larger than, the outside diameter of
the outer tube 60. A first opening 12 that is smaller than the inside
diameter of the housing 10 is formed on the front end side (the right side
in the figures) of the housing 10, and a second opening 14 whose inside
diameter is roughly the same as the inside diameter of the housing 10 is
formed on the rear end side (the left side in the figures) of the housing
10.
A shield ring 20 that has a roughly I-shaped cross section is provided
coaxially with the first opening 12 and adjacent to the back side of the
first opening 12. A center hole 22 whose diameter is roughly the same as
the outside diameter of the inner cable 70 discussed below is formed in
the center of this shield ring 20, and a thin film 24 that completely
seals the center hole 22 is formed ahead of time at approximately the
center position of this center hole 22. A ring-form base plate 30 is
provided coaxially with and adjacent to the shield ring 20. This base
plate 30 is provided in order to receive and fix the distal end portion 62
of the outer tube 60 when the end cap 1 is mounted onto the end of the
outer tube 60, and a center hole 32 is formed in the center portion of
this base plate 30 as well. The space between the second opening 14 and
the base plate 30 in the interior of the housing 10 creates a lubricant
chamber 15, and a lubricant 40 that has low fluidity at normal
temperature, which is used for such purposes as lubricating and
rustproofing the inner cable 70 discussed below, is injected from the
second opening 14, which completes the end cap 1 of this practical
example. When the various environmental conditions and handling methods
encountered in the shipping and delivery of the finished product are taken
into account, the lubricant 40 injected into the lubricant chamber 15 of
the end cap 1 should be a lubricant such as a grease that has low fluidity
at normal temperature so that the lubricant 40 will not flow out of the
second opening 14 when the end cap 1 is placed in a standing state such
that the first opening 12 and second opening 14 thereof are above and
below, respectively. In this embodiment, lubricant 40 is a grease that
will not flow out from the end cap 1 at 80.degree. C. or lower.
Next, the process of assembling a bicycle control cable using the end cap 1
will be described with reference to FIGS. 2a through 2e.
FIG. 2a shows the state directly before the mounting of the end cap 1 on
the outer tube 60. Here, the distal end portion 62 of the outer tube 60 is
about to be inserted into the lubricant chamber 15 from the second opening
of the end cap 1.
FIG. 2b shows the state midway through the mounting of the end cap 1 on the
outer tube 60. Here, the lubricant 40 that was injected into the lubricant
chamber 15 is moved toward the base plate 30 by the pressing force
produced by the distal end portion 62 of the outer tube 60, part of the
lubricant 40 goes into the interior of the outer tube 60, and part of the
lubricant 40 begins to go into the center hole 32 of the base plate 30.
FIG. 2c shows the state when the end cap 1 has been completely mounted on
the outer tube 60. Specifically, the distal end portion 62 of the outer
tube 60 is in close contact with the contact surface 34 of the base plate
30 opposite the distal end portion 62. Here, the lubricant 40 is moved
further toward the base plate 30 by the pressing force produced by the
distal end portion 62 of the outer tube 60, part of the lubricant 40 goes
into the interior of the outer tube 60, and the rest of the lubricant 40
fills all of the space from the center hole 32 in the base plate 30 to the
center hole 22 in the shield ring 20, but the movement of the lubricant 40
is blocked by the film 24 since the film 24 has been provided ahead of
time to the center hole 22 in the shield ring, so further movement to the
first opening 12 side of the end cap 1 is impossible. In other words, the
role of the film 24 provided to the center hole 22 in the shield ring 20
is to prevent the lubricant 40 from leaking from the center hole 22 in the
shield ring 20 into the first opening 12 of the end cap 1 when the end cap
1 is mounted on the outer tube 60.
FIG. 2d shows the state midway through the insertion of the inner cable 70
through the outer tube 60. Specifically, when the inner cable 70 is
inserted from the first opening 12 of the end cap 1 into the interior of
the end cap 1 in the state shown in FIG. 2c, the film 24 over the center
hole 22 in the shield ring 20 is broken, and the distal end portion of the
inner cable 70 begins to go into the lubricant 40.
FIG. 2e shows the state when the inner cable 70 has been inserted through
the outer tube 60. Specifically, when the inner cable 70 is inserted
further into the outer tube 60, the inner cable 70 goes through the
lubricant 40, so the surface of the inserted inner cable 70 is covered
with the lubricant 40.
When a bicycle control cable is assembled in this manner, all that has to
be done is to insert the outer tube 60 in the end cap 1, then pass the
inner cable 70 through the inside of the outer tube 60 from the first
opening 12 of the end cap 1. There is no special need for the end cap 1 to
be fixed by caulking to the outer tube 60, as in the past. Nevertheless,
this simple operation results in a bicycle control cable having an end cap
1 that allows leakage of the lubricant 40 to be prevented and the
rustproofing effect and lubrication action of the inner cable 70 to be
displayed over a long term, and it prevents the infiltration of dirty
water and moisture. Also, since the only structural parts of the end cap
are the housing 10, one shield member 20, and one base plate 30, into
which the lubricant 40 is injected, the construction is extremely simple,
and it is possible to attach the end cap 1 easily and in a removable
fashion to the end of the outer tube 60 of a bicycle control cable, so it
can be utilized as a maintenance part, and when the lubrication effect
provided by the lubricant 40 has decreased, the end cap 1 can be simply
replaced and re-used, so there is no need to replace the whole bicycle
cable. Furthermore, if the housing 10 is made from a transparent material,
the amount of injected lubricant 40 remaining inside the housing can be
visually checked from the outside, so it can be easily ascertained when
the end cap 1 should be replaced.
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional diagram of an alternative embodiment of a
lubricant-containing end cap according to the invention for use with a
bicycle control cable. The end cap in this embodiment is a nose type of
end cap 1' as opposed to the normal type of end cap shown in FIG. 1.
However, to simplify the description, only those features that are
different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described.
Components that are the same as the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are labeled
with the same symbols.
As shown in FIG. 3, the difference between this embodiment and the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is the shape of the housing 10. In this
embodiment, the housing 10 of end cap 1' is formed such that it has a
large-diameter main section 11 with a roughly hollow cylindrical shape and
a pipe-form small-diameter nose section 13 that extends coaxially from the
outer side of the first opening 12 in the large-diameter main section 11
to the outside. This results in a nose type of end cap 1'. In addition, a
protrusion 16 that is used to reinforce the linking with a rubber boot may
be provided around the outer periphery on the distal end side of the nose
section 13.
FIG. 4 is a cross section of the relation by which the nose type of end cap
1' is combined with the other members of the control cable system. In FIG.
4, 80 is the frame of the bicycle, 82 is a control cable attachment seat
(stopper) that is provided to the surface of the frame 80 and that is used
to attach the bicycle control cable, and 84 is a center hole in the
control cable attachment seat 82. 90 is a rubber boot that is used at the
boundary portion between the inner cable 70 and the nose type of end cap
1' midway along the path of the bicycle control cable, 92 is a linking
opening in the rubber boot 90 that is used to link to the nose section 13
of the end cap 1', and 94 is an inner cable insertion opening in the
rubber boot 90.
When a bicycle control cable is produced by assembling the outer tube 60,
the nose type of end cap 1', the rubber boot 90, and the inner cable 70,
as shown in FIG. 4, the first step is the insertion of the outer tube 60
into the second opening 14 in the end cap 1' until the distal portion 62
thereof hits the contact surface 34 of the base plate 30, just as in the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1 above. Next, the nose section 13 of the nose
type of end cap 1' is passed through the center hole 84 in the control
cable attachment seat 82 and is inserted through the linking opening 92 of
the rubber boot 90 to link it with the rubber boot 90. Since a protrusion
16 is formed around the outer periphery of the distal end side of the nose
section 13 of the nose type of end cap 1', if the nose section 13 is
inserted into the interior of the rubber boot 90 until this protrusion 16
engages with a step 96 formed in the interior of the rubber boot 90, then
the protrusion 16 and the step 96 will be engaged together, so the nose
type of end cap 1' can be kept firmly linked to the rubber boot 90. In
this state, the inner cable 70 is inserted into the interior of the rubber
boot 90 from the inner cable insertion opening in the rubber boot 90 and
further goes through the nose section 13, after which it passes through
the outer tube 60 in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1
above, which completes the bicycle control cable.
With this nose type of end cap 1', in addition to the same merits being
obtained as with the normal type of end cap 1 in the embodiment shown in
FIG. 1, since there is a pipe-form small-diameter nose section 13 that
extends coaxially from the outer side of the first opening 12 in the
large-diameter main section 11 to the outside, the inner cable 70 that has
been passed through the end cap 1' is kept in a state of coaxiality with
the shield member 20 of the end cap 1' at all times, and the shield member
20 is more resistant to damage, so the shielding performance can be
maintained over a longer period of time than with the end cap 1 in the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional diagram of another alternative embodiment of a
lubricant-containing end cap according to the invention for use with a
bicycle control cable. To simplify the description, only those points that
are different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described.
Components that are the same as in that embodiment are labeled with the
same symbols.
The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment shown in FIG. 1
is that no film is formed over the center hole 22 of the shield ring 20 in
order to prevent the leakage of the lubricant 40 from this center hole 22
to the first opening 12. Instead, a waxy substance 50 is packed ahead of
time into the center hole 32 of the base plate 30 and on both sides (front
and back) of the center hole 32. Just as with the lubricant 40 injected
into the lubricant chamber 15, this waxy substance 50 can be a wax that
will not flow out from the end cap 1 at 80.degree. C. or lower. In
addition to the same merits being obtained as with the end cap in the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the end cap 1 of this embodiment also has the
merit of enhancing the lubrication of the inner cable 70 at normal
temperature through the presence of the wax.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional diagram of another alternative embodiment of a
lubricant-containing end cap according to the invention for use with a
bicycle control cable. The end cap 1' in this embodiment is also a nose
type of end cap 1', just as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, so to
simplify the description, only those points that are different from that
embodiment will be described. Components that are the same as in the
embodiment shown in FIG. 3 are labeled with the same symbols.
As shown in FIG. 6, the difference between this embodiment and the
embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is that no film is formed over the center hole
22 of the shield ring 20 in order to prevent the leakage of the lubricant
40 from this center hole 22 to the first opening 12. Instead, a waxy
substance 50 is packed ahead of time into the center hole 32 of the base
plate 30 and on both sides (front and back) of the center hole 32. Just as
with the lubricant 40 injected into the lubricant chamber 15, this waxy
substance 50 can be a wax that will not flow out from the end cap 1' at
80.degree. C. or lower. In addition to the same merits being obtained as
with the end cap 1' in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the end cap 1' of
this embodiment also has the merit of enhancing the lubrication of the
inner cable 70 at normal temperature through the presence of the wax.
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional diagram of another alternative embodiment of a
lubricant-containing end cap according to the invention for use with a
bicycle control cable. The end cap 1' of this embodiment also is a nose
type of end cap 1', just as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, so to
simplify the description, only those points that are different from that
embodiment will be described. Components that are the same as in the
embodiment shown in FIG. 6 are labeled with the same symbols.
As shown in FIG. 7, the difference between this embodiment and the
embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is that whereas the end cap 1' in FIG. 6 merely
had the waxy substance 50 packed into the center hole 32 of the base plate
30 and on both sides (front and back) of the center hole 32, with the end
cap 1' of this embodiment the waxy substance 50 is further packed into the
first opening 12 as well. As a result, in addition to the same merits
being obtained as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the end cap 1' of
this embodiment also has the merit of further enhancing the lubrication of
the inner cable 70 at normal temperature through the presence of the wax.
While the above is a description of various embodiments of the present
invention, further modifications may be employed without departing from
the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the scope of the
invention should not be limited by the specific structures disclosed.
Instead, the true scope of the invention should be determined by the
following claims. Of course, although labeling symbols are used in the
claims in order to facilitate reference to the figures, the present
invention is not intended to be limited to the constructions in the
appended figures by such labeling.
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